Follow These Six Simple Steps
Continuous improvement initiatives enable organizations to make regular small changes in workflow. Employees can adapt better to change when it is occurring regularly and is well planned. Take these six simple steps to launch continuous improvement initiatives:
- Do some research – where are some potential areas for improvement? Gather feedback from employees throughout the organization as to what changes may help them to better meet their goals and perform their roles.
- Prioritize the list of potential areas for improvement. Determine criteria to prioritize: ROI, reduction in expenses, quicker time to market, improvement in workflow, etc.
- Communicate about the value of continuous improvement initiatives when you are ready to move forward. And not just the value to the organization, but the value to the individual employees. Use the data gathered from the employees to frame the communication.
- Pull together a cross-functional team of influential non-leaders who are champions of continuous improvement and give them time during working hours, support and budget to work on a continuous improvement project.
- Evaluate the success of the initiative and give credit to the team! Determine where continuous improvement initiatives can be done even better the next time.
- Begin again with a new team and the next high priority area for improvement!
Learn best practices on managing BPI projects via our book, Best Practices for Managing BPI Projects: Six Steps to Success.
